The application relates to an airbag arrangement.
Such an airbag arrangement includes a gas bag, a gas generator to inflate the airbag, a flexible chamber arranged within the gas bag, into which the gas issuing from the gas generator enters and which has at least one outlet opening through which the gas is carried on into a working space of the gas bag, as well as at least one vent opening through which the gas can exit from the gas bag into the environment.
The gas bag of such an airbag arrangement serves to protect occupants of the vehicle in an accident, and for this purpose the gas bag is inflated within a few milliseconds in order to form a cushion for an occupant, with which the occupant can collide. Since a vehicle occupant is not always in his normal (upright) sitting position while traveling, but for example may be leaning toward the airbag arrangement or leaning to one side, it is necessary to minimize the risk of injury to an occupant by means of the rapidly expanding gas bag. This purpose is served especially by controlling the gas stream which issues from the associated gas generator of the airbag system for the defined filling of the gas bag.
In WO 99/28163 A1 there is disclosed an apparatus for affecting the deployment of a gas bag of an airbag module, in which a passage is arranged within the gas bag in the region of the gas generator and has front discharge openings opposite one another to influence the outflowing gas after the gas generator is ignited. This passage can be formed especially by a rebound strap arranged within the gas bag. The guidance passage is therefore a flexible chamber into which the gas issuing from the gas generator first enters and by means of which the gas is introduced in defined, predetermined directions into the gas bag. In this manner the gas flow can be influenced within the gas bag such that the stress on a person who is out of his normal position when the gas bag is inflated is reduced (a so-called “oops” case.